Package construction for baseball tee, bat and ball

ABSTRACT

A package construction composed of a baseball type tee, a baseball type bat being in telescopic relation with said tee, a base member for supporting the tee in an upright manner, and at least one ball being disposed in said base member.

United States Patent [1 1 Tassone et a1.

[ PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR BASEBALL TEE, BAT AND BALL [76] Inventors: Joseph V. Tassone, 2425 Rawnsdale Rd., Kettering, Ohio 45440; James T. Candor, 5440 Cynthia Ln., Dayton, Ohio 45429 Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to June 25, 1991, has been disclaimed.

[221 Filed: Jan. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 326,805

[52] US. Cl 206/223, 206/315, 273/26 R [51] Int. Cl A63b69/40, B65d 85/00 [58] Field of Search 206/46 R, 46 AN, 46 B;

273/26 R, 26 B, 26 E [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,754,495 4/1930 Anderson 206/46 B X 1*Aug. 20, 1974 2,527,906 10/1950 Bennett et al 273/26 R 2,890,790 6/1959 Gibson, Jr. 206/46 AM 3,139,282 6/1964 Lande 273/26 R 3,183,000 5/1965 Dix 1 273/26 R 3,236,521 2/1966 Knott 273/26 B X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 699,300 12/1964 Canada 273/26 B Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Candor, Candor & Tassone [57 ABSTRACT A package construction composed of a baseball type tee, a baseball type bat being in telescopic relation with said tee, a base member for supporting the tee in an upright manner, and at least one ball being disposed in said base member.

5 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR BASEBALL TEE, BAT AND BALL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ball games such as baseball, softball, and the like, are especially popular with young ball players starting at roughly age five and such popularity often continues through the teen years. To improve their batting skills, young ball players often have numerous bats which may include wooden bats, metal bats, lightweight plastic bats and the like which may be used with regulation balls or lightweight balls which may be made of plastic and may have holes therein to prevent such balls from being hit large distances.

However, it is difficult for a young ball player to improve his batting skills while playing alone and various comparatively expensive ball toss-up devices and tees have been proposed heretofore and sold as individual items to enable such a young ball player to improve his or her batting skills.

SUMMARY The invention provides an improved economical package construction comprising a ball tee member adapted to have a ball hit off of the same by a ball bat or the like and at least one of the balls and bat being packaged together with the ball tee member.

Other details, uses, and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the exemplary embodiments thereof presented in the following specification, claims, and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing shows present preferred embodiments of this invention, in which FIG. I is a view in elevation illustrating one exemplary embodiment of the package construction of this invention comprised of a ball tee member made of a transparent material and having an integral base and being provided with a ball bat in telescoped relation within the ball tee member and a plurality of balls disposed within the base of the ball tee member;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention comprising base means, a ball tee member telescoped within the base means and made of a transparent material, a plurality of balls within the base means, and a ball bat inserted in telescoped relation within the ball tee member;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating modified means for adjusting the vertical height of the ball tee member and its base means;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a package construction defined by base means and a ball bat which serves as a ball tee member and showing a ball supported at one end of the ball bat;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating another exemplary embodiment of the package construction which is shown without a means normally used to overwrap the components thereof to define a unitary package;

FIG. 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is another exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention;

FIG. 8 is another exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention and defined by a ball tee member comprised of a plurality of telescoped sections and a plurality of balls;

FIG. 9 is another exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention which has automatic ball return means;

FIG. 10 is another exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention in which the ball tee member is a self supporting ball bat; and

FIG. 11 is another exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention wherein the ball tee member is telescoped within a tubular bat.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EEMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawing which illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a package construction of this invention which is designated generally by the reference numeral 20. The package construction 20 comprises a ball tee member 21 which is adapted to have a ball B hit off of same by a ball hat or the like and the ball tee member 21 has base means in the form of a base 22 defined as an integral part thereof to define what would be referred to as a ball tee and designated generally by the reference numeral 23.

The ball tee member or portion 21 of tee 23 and its base 22 are shown, in this example, as being made of a transparent material which is preferably a transparent elastomeric material such as plastic and member 21 is particularly adapted to be struck repeatedly by a ball bat, or the like, without substantial damage thereto whereby the tee 23 may be used for extended periods of time for both hitting practice either indoors or outdoors as well as for actual play of the game of tee ball which is rapidly increasing in popularity.

The package construction 20 has a ball bat 24 telescoped within its tee member 21 and a plurality of balls B are provided and carried within the base 22 whereby such base also serves as storage means for the balls B. The package construction 20 has suitable closures, each designated by the reference numeral 27, provided at opposite ends thereof to define a unitary construction or package which includes tee 23, bar 24, and balls B which are held together as a unit for storage, transportation, display, and sale. The end closures 27 may be made in any suitable manner and may be the type of plastic closure commonly used as a reclosure lid for coffee cans. In particular, each end closure 27 comprises a substantially planar central portion 28 and a peripheral annular flange 29 extending transverse the planar portion 28. The flange 29 is particularly adapted to snap fit around its associated member 21 or base means 22 and thereby hold its closure 27 firmly in position.

In the package construction 20, the maximum outside diameter of the bat 24 and the inside diameter of the tubular tee member 21 are correlated so that the bat 24 may be easily inserted within and removed from the tubular member 21. Further, the bat 24 may be a lightweight tubular or solid bat made of a plastic material or such bat may be made of fiberglas, metal, wood, or any other suitable material. In addition, it will be appreciated that the balls B may be regulation baseballs, regulation softballs, sponge rubber balls, plastic balls, or balls made of other suitable materials; also, such balls B may be thin-walled hollow balls with or without openings in their thin walls.

The tee 23 comprised of portion 21 and base means or base 22 of this example is shown as a single piece construction having a substantially frustoconical tubular transition portion 30 therebetween; however, itwill be appreciated that the'component portion 21 and base means or base 22 may be suitably fixed together using other techniques and transition means and for that matter the base 22 need not necessarily be of a larger outside diameter than the outside diameter of the tee member 21 as shown.

Other exemplary embodiments of package constructions of this invention are illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4, S, 7, 8, 9, l0, and 11. The package constructions illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9,10, and 11 are similar to the package construction therefore, such package constructions will be designated by the reference numerals 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, and 20H respectively and the representative parts of each package construction which are similar to corresponding parts of the package 20 will be designated in the drawing by the same reference numeral as in the package construction 20 whether or not such component parts are mentioned in the specification followed by the associated letter designation either A, B, C, D, E, F, G, or H and not described again in detail. Only those component parts of each package construction which are substantially different from corresponding parts of the package 20 will be designated by a new reference numeral also followed by the associated letter designation and described in detail.

The package 20A is comprised of a tee 23A defined by a base means or base 22A which is made as a separate part from the transparent tee member 21A. The base may be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of an elastomeric material which may be transparent.

The tee member 21A is received in telescoped relation within a reduced diameter tubular portion 31A adjoining the base 22A and the member 21A may be adjustably positioned and frictionally held so that its top annular ball-supporting surface may be arranged at an infinite number of vertical positions to thereby support a ball B thereon in any desired vertical position for easier hitting as determined by the height'of the batter using the tee 23A. Except for this modification, it will be seen that a plurality of three balls B are also carried within the base 22B and a bat 24A is arranged in telescoped relation within the transparent tee member 21A with closure members 27A being provided at opposite ends of the package construction 21A.

It may be desirable in some applications of this invention to avoid the necessity of providing controlled tolerances of the outside diameter of the tubular tee member 21A and the inside diameter of the right circular cylindrical portion 31A of the base means or base 22A. For example, the outside diameter of the member 21A may be substantially smaller than the inside diameterof the portion 31A and as shown in FIG. 3. In order to provide adjustability of the vertical height of the tubular ball tee member 21A, a plurality of sets of diametrically aligned openings 32A may be provided in the tubular member 21A and corresponding diametrically arranged sets of openings 33A may be provided in the cylindrical portion 31A of the base 22A so that a suitable fastener such as a fastening string F may be in- 4 serted through suitably aligned sets of openings 32A and 33A once the member 21A has been positioned or adjusted vertically at the position at which a ball B may be supported on its top annular surface.

The package 20B illustrated in FIG. 4 is comprised of a ball tee 23B defined by a base means or base 228 also having a reduced diameter right circular cylindrical tubular portion 318 similar to the portion 31A of base 22A and the tee member of this example is in the form of a ball bat 24B. A ball B comprising the package 20B is detachably fastened as by adhesive tape, or the like (not shown) against the top surface of the knob defining the terminal end of the handle portion of the bat 248. The bat 248 which in reality defines the ball tee member 213 in this embodiment is frictionally held within tubular portion 318 and the complete package construction 20B is comprised of base means 22B, bat 248 which defines ball tee member 21B, and a ball B suitably attached in position to either member 22B or bat 24B.

To assure that a ball B may be supported on the knob of the handle portion of the ball bat 24B, a substantially inwardly concave recess R may be defined in the bat so that the ball B may rest therein in a secure manner. It will also be appreciated that the inside diameter of the tubular rightcircular cylindrical portion 31B is closely correlated with the outside diameter of the bat so that the bat may be snugly fit and inserted within the right circular cylindrical portion 318 and frictionally held thereby to adjustably vertically position such bat and thereby vertically position the ball at an infinite number of positions above the base means or base 22B.

Another inwardly concave recess designated by the reference numeral R may be provided in the terminal end of the hitting end portion of the bat 24B and the base 228 suitably modified to receive and support the handle end portion of such bat whereby a ball B may be supported in the inwardly concave recess R in the terminal end of such hitting end portion so that it may be hit by another ball bat.

If desired, a plurality of one or more balls B may be placed withinthe lower portion of the base 223 and combined at one end by a closure similar to the closure 27 and at the opposite end by the hitting end portion of a bat 24B frictionally engaging the inside surface of right circular cylindrical portion 318 to define a modified package 208.

The package construction 20C illustrated in FIG. 5 is comprised of a ball tee 23C defined by base means or base 22C made of a transparent elastomeric material and having a right circular cylindrical portion 31C defined as an integral part thereof. The tubular member 21C is telescoped within the inside diameter of the right circular cylindrical portion 31C and is adapted to be frictionally held at an infinite number of vertical positions in a similar manner as the member 21A of tee 20A; and a bat 24C is received in telescoped relation within member 21C. However, it will be appreciated that the tee 23C instead of being made of two relatively vertically slidable parts 21C and 22C may be made as a single part having a fixed vertical height yet being defined by component portions 21C and 22C.

The base 22C of tee 23C is comparatively large in diameter and has a roughly hat-shaped bottom portion 34C which is provided with a plurality of four openings 35C, see FIG. 6, each adapted to receive a bat 24C therethrough. Thus, when theball tee 23C is not in use as a tee for hitting a ball therefrom, it may be used as a ball bat stand for a plurality of bats, shown in this example was a plurality of four bats 24C.

The package C is unique because it has a multifunction tee 23C made of a transparent material which may be used to contain balls B, may be used as a bat stand, or may be used as a ball supporting tee. In addition to the multifunction tee 23C, the package 20C also has a plurality of four balls B supported within the hatshaped section 34C of its base 22C, and a plurality of four bats 24C arranged through openings 35C with a fifth bat 24C telescoped within tubular member 21C. The balls B and bats 24C are prevented from falling through the base 22C by the use of a closure 27C and the top portion of the package construction 20C are also provided with suitable means for holding the package construction together as a unit. Preferably, the overall package 20C is suitably overwrapped with a suitable material such as a transparent plastic film which may be heat shrunk in position thereagainst in the usual known manner.

The package 20D shown in FIG. 7 utilizes ball tee 23D made either of a single piece of flat material and hingedly fastened along an edge 36D thereof or of a pair of hingedly fastened flat pieces. The ball tee 23D is of the type described in more detail in applicants copending patent application Ser. No. 320,280 and reference may be made to such patent application for a more detailed understanding of such ball tee. The package construction 20D has a plurality of three balls B, the center one of which is shown as having a larger diameter than the other two. The balls B of the package construction are supported in opening means 37D provided in the tee 23D and are arranged therewithin in substantially nested relation and a ball bat 24D is supported along one side of the tee 23D. The opening means 37D of tee 23D also serves to reduce the area of the tee 23D to prevent it from being blown over by the wind. The entire tee 23D, balls B, and bat 24D are packaged together as a unitary construction with a suitable transparent plastic film 38D which is heat shrunk therearound in a known manner.

The package construction or package 20E, illustrated in FIG. 8 is comprised of a plurality of telescoping sections, the outer one of which is designated by the reference numeral 22E and defines the base means or base for the tee 23E defined thereby. The ball tee member may be considered as the inner member 21E and has a frustoconical tapering portion 40E for supporting a ball B thereon and the tee 23E has a central telescoping member 41E interconnecting portions 21B and 22E. The compact package 20E is defined by portions 22E, 21E, and 41E and has a plurality of four balls B supported therewithin and such package has end closure members 27E fastened at opposite ends thereof against outer member 22E. The members 22E, 21E, and 41E are readily pulled apart after removing end closures 27E and the balls B removed to define the ball supporting tee 23E which is adapted to support a ball B, shown by dotted lines, thereon and in the manner described previously. The tolerances of members 22E, 21E, and 41E are such that once such members are expanded they are self held by friction in their expanded position.

The package 20F illustrated in FIG. 9 is comprised of a tee 23F having a base 22F and a ball tee supporting member 21F which are made as a single integral part and of a transparent material. The base portion 22F is particularly adapted to support at least one ball B therewithin and has a closure member 27F for sealing the bottom surface of the base 22F in position. In addition, it will be seen that an opening 42F is provided in the base 22F and a reel-like retract device 43F is fixed in position within the base 22F. A suitable string 44F similar to a fishing line extends from the device 43F through opening 42F and is attached to a ball B supported on top of the tee member 21F. The device 43F is of the type which allows the ball B to be struck from the tee 23F and the device 43F allows the string 44F to remain attached thereto as the ball travels from the tee 23C. Once the ball B comes to a halt, suitable means, preferably storage battery operated, provided within the device 43F is automatically energized to automatically rewind the string 44F to retract the ball B so that it is reeled against the outside surface of the base 22F whereupon the operation may be repeated.

The package construction 206 of FIG. 10 is comprised of a bat made of a lightweight plastic material which is used to define the ball tee 236 and the lower portion of the hitting portion of the bat or tee member 230 defines the base 226 while the handle portion thereof defines an integral tee member designated by the reference numeral 210. The comparatively large diameter hitting portion of the large or fat" bat which is described as a tee member 236 may contain a large number of balls B therein and preferably has a ball bat 246 of roughly regulation size or smaller also supported therewithin. A recess R may also be provided in the tee member portion 21G of the bat member 23G for supporting a ball B thereon as illustrated at 466. In addition, the lower portion of the tee 23G, i.e., the very large diameter hitting portion of the bat-tee 23G, may have a lower terminal end portion designated by the reference numeral 476 provided with external threads 50G which threadedly engage cooperating internal threads 516 in the main tubular portion of the member 236. The threads 506 and 51G may be used to adjust the vertical position of a ball which is to be supported on the recess R of the handle end portion of the member 236.

Thus, the package construction 200 has two ball bats provided as a part thereof with one ball bat being a very lightweight large plastic tee bat 236 which may be used as an adjustable tee or a large bat. The other ball bat 24G is supported within the large diameter ball bat and the package 200 also includes a plurality of balls B.

The package construction 20H is comprised of a tubular bat 24H which has at least a portion of a tee means 23H telescoped therewithin. In particular, the tee means comprises a hollow spherical member 55H which may be the size of a regulation softball and which is defined by two hemispherical parts 56H detachably fastened together on a large diameter at 57H by either threads or a snap fitting arrangement. A tube or rod 60H is fixed to one of the hemispherical parts as shown at 61H and extends perpendicular to a plane adjoining the base of part 56H against which member 60H is attached.

The member 55H may carry a ball B of the package 20H therewithin and such package is completed by inserting member 60H within a bat 24H and suitably fastening member 55H against the bat 24H. The teedefining member 601-! has a recess R at its terminal end for supporting a ball thereon and in applications where member 60H is tubular the recess R is inherently defined by the annular surface at the terminal end of I member 60H.

While the various embodiments of this invention have been described and illustrated as being formed of continuous wall material, it is to be understood that all or part of each ball tee member and/or its associated base means could be formed of perforated wall means to not only reduce the weight and material thereof, but to also reduce its wind resistance and permit any device stored therein to be readily viewable therethrough whereby the material of the wall means could be other than transparent, if desired.

While present exemplary embodiments of this invention, and methods of practicing the same, have been illustrated and described, it will be recognized that this invention may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package construction comprising, a baseball and softball tee member adapted to have a ball hit off the same by a baseball and softball type ball hat, a base means being packaged with said tee member and being adapted to support said tee member in an upright manner, said bat and at least one ball being packaged together with said tee member and said base means, said ball being disposed in said base means of said package construction, and said bat and said tee member being disposed in telescopic relation.

2. A package construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base means is integral with said tee mem- 

1. A package construction comprising, a baseball and softball tee member adapted to have a ball hit off the same by a baseball and softball type ball bat, a base means being packaged with said tee member and being adapted to support said tee member in an upright manner, said bat and at least one ball being packaged together with said tee member and said base means, said ball being disposed in said base means of said package construction, and said bat and said tee member being disposed in telescopic relation.
 2. A package construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base means is integral with said tee member.
 3. A package construction as set forth in claim 1 and including at least one other ball disposed in said base means.
 4. A package construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base means is substantially hat-shaped.
 5. A package construction as set forth in claim 4 and including a closure carried by said base means and holding said ball therein. 